90s, 90s: how Millennials are shaping our interior design

A new booming trend is taking over the home décor world: the 90s comeback! The Millennial generation is driving a refined and fancy throwback to their childhood.

Why the 90s, you say? Well first of all, as style-guru Iris Apfel is fond of saying, “If you hang around long enough, everything comes back”. And it’s true: we’ve seen how some of the 70s trends have found a way back into our homes, as well as some of the excesses from the 80s. So is it after all so unexpected that we should say hello to the 90s again? There’s also another reason: all those people who were children or teenagers back then, who grew up during this decade, are now close to or just past their 30s. Which means, Millennials are quickly becoming one of the major forces driving the home décor market: they are moving out of their studio apartments, getting more and more successful jobs and finally starting to have enough capital to invest it into styling their own houses and apartments. So, once you think about it, their wish to bring something from their early youth with them is not so bizarre! Newsflash: some of those 90s trends are actually worth keeping! Let’s take a look at the most stylish ones.

You may have heard that emerald green is one of the hottest colors for 2018, and that’s correct! Still, did you know about hunter green? Hunter green is the Millennial generation’s take on classic emerald. Now, what’s so good about this darker shade of green, you say? Any Millennial will tell you that this color simply works wonders with metallic shades like bronze and gold. Plus, if you’re a Millennial, you know how much you love your rose and pink gold, right? Well, the good news is that hunter green and pink gold are a match made in heaven! Fill your house with rose pink candle holders and photo frames, and add a hunter green wall for an amazing contrast!

Neutral shades? What’s a neutral shade? If you lived through the 90s, you’ll remember how scarce neutral colors were, back then! This decade was characterized by bright pops of color, in all shades of boldness: shocking pink, electric blue, neon green, violet… It’s just as natural, then, that you might want to bring at least some of that boldness back into your life! There are many ways to do this, of course, but one of the best, easiest, quickest and cheapest is to invest in a fancy wallpaper! Why is wallpaper ideal? Not only is it easy to put up, but it’s even easier to to just tear off your walls if you get tired of it! In fact, we highly recommend a wallpaper to re-ignite this trend: it might not last forever, so make a choice you can dispose of quickly and painlessly.

Blonde wood may be a less scenic choice than dark wood, but we’re very happy it’s coming back! Because let’s be real: it shines and looks at its best on the floor of airy, open-plan houses, and we all know how popular these are now. Trust us, blonde wood is going to transform your house (or your small apartment) in a stylish and peaceful heaven. You might remember how much people used to love lacquered surfaces in the 90s: everything was so sleek and shiny, you could have used your timber floor as a mirror. However, a trend that’s been lasting for at least 10-15 years now is all about keeping everything as raw and natural as possible: let your timber floor shine naturally.

However, if a simple and unrefined blonde wood floor is too low-key and understated for you, you can always go bolder by choosing a floor with a distinctive pattern. For instance, this blonde wood floor is made of square tassels rather than the planks or listels we’re used to, thus partly resembling a floor styled with tiles.

Yep, you heard that right: canopy beds are back! They were all the rage in the 90s, especially for girls’ bedrooms: huge pink and lavender castles invaded by tons of pillows and fluffy, voluminous curtains hanging all around. But don’t worry! That traditional idea of "canopy bed" doesn’t exist anymore, at least not in a Millennial household. The new idea of canopy bed is an essential, simple and squared structure, where the clean, straight lines of the frame enclose the bed and create a sweet contrast with its softness. If you still like the idea of curtains, you can still have this option, but, this time, it’s going to be tasteful.

On the contrary, if you don’t care about the (relative) privacy allowed by semi-transparent curtains, feel free to opt for a nude frame. But be careful! This option might end up looking a bit too stern, unless you surround it with warm and welcoming interior design pieces.

Fringes of all sizes, colors and materials are sliding back into our homes. For instance, remember those doorway curtains with beads, macramé, etc? Those are probably the wildest and most extreme example of fringes, and yes, those are back too. However, we get it if you don’t want your house to turn into a full-on 90s revival! Still, there are loads of cute fringes that -- we promise -- you won’t get tired of. Fringed lampshades are simply a classic everyone should own at some point in their life! But, the easiest solution is a nice, warm, possibly hand woven fringed rug: doesn’t the room feel cozier already?

Wicker and rattan are two gorgeous natural material that periodically go through phases of declining popularity. Still, as we may have already mentioned in previous articles, this year rattan is back, and so are wicker and cane! We normally employ these materials for our indoor furniture, but who says we can’t use it indoors too? Take a look at this sofa: the frame would fit perfectly on a veranda, but the velvety upholstery says “classy living room”. Also, don’t forget the fur! Starting from the 80s until the mid-90s, furs were extremely popular! If you were a child or a teenager back then, you must have seen your mum wearing one of those immense, gigantic furs! So to recreate that vibe again, we suggest you turn to fur throws and rugs… and of course, eco-chic furs are more than recommended!

Wooden kitchens are making a comeback as well! They’ll make you feel like you’re 8 all over again, eating Froot Loops with milk while watching the Saturday morning cartoons. If you want a full-blown 90s throwback, a classic, traditional kitchen like this might be what you’re looking for.